Two Months* Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast. 281 



XXXIII. — Two Months' Bird- collecting on the Gold Coast. 

 By Captain G. E. Shelley and T. E. Buckley. 



We left England on the 12th of January, 1872, to study the 

 rich and, as yet, very imperfectly known avifauna of the Gold 

 Coast. 



After a rough passage, we anchored in the beautiful bay of 

 Funchal, the capital of Madeira. The town itself is prettily 

 situated at the foot of the hills (of rugged and bold outline), 

 which are terraced with vines &c. almost to their summits. 

 Behind the town, halfway up the mountains, stands a con- 

 vent, one of the most conspicuous objects on entering the 

 harbour. 



As yet we had seen but few birds ; for Gulls were not veiy 

 abundant, the two commonest species being the yellow-legged 

 Herring-Gull and the Kittiwake. Near the Canary Islands 

 sea-birds were more numerous ; and we saw quantities of two 

 species of Shearwater, one of which appeared to be P. anglorum. 

 Between TenerifFe and Sierra Leone we frequently met with 

 Petrels, probably the two species P. pelagica and P. oceanica, 

 both of which appear to be equally abundant on the west coast 

 of Africa. 



While within fifty miles of TenerifFe a Hoopoe came on board, 

 and some hundred and fifty miles further south we shot a spe- 

 cimen of Lanius algeriensis which had alighted on the rigging. 

 As the weather was fine and the sea calm after passing the 

 Canaries, we were often on the look-out ; and though we saw 

 but little of interest ornithologically, yet whales, porpoises, and 

 innumerable nautili relieved somewhat the monotony of our 

 sea voyage. 



On approaching the pretty harbour of Sierra Leone we first 

 sight Africa. Freetown, its capital, is situated at the mouth of 

 a broad river, and is a thriving place ; in the background the 

 hills rise abruptly over the town, and are densely wooded; 

 while the low ground and the opposite side of the river, which 

 is likewise flat, are covered with thick bush, with here and there 

 occasional large trees. 



In the harbour we saw many Gulls and some Terns ; among 



